Bottle-rinser.



No. 812,940. 'PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

0. H. LOEW. BOTTLE RIN'SER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

v EK i/tahaooeofi I v PATENTBD FEBKZO, 1906-. 0. H. LOEW. BOTTLE RINSER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17, i904. V

a sums-sauna Q vvtmcooao MM "are'automatically advanced toward and re-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LOEW, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO.

BOTTLE-RINSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20,1906.

Application filed March 17, 1904. Serial No. 198,613-

To (ZZZ whom it near concern.-

Be it'known thatI, CHARLES H. l onw, a citizen of the United States, anda resldent of Lakewood, in the county of Ouyahoga and.

State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBottle-Rinsers, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has relation generally to. means for rinsing bottlesafter the same have been soaked in a suitable. alkaline cleansing fluid,and more particularly to that type of bottle-rinsers whereinfluid-discharge stems traoted from thebottles.

Thepresent case forms one of a series of co-- 'pending applicationsfiled by me and Wherem l/have claimed broadly and specifically,

amongother things, a bottle-rinser or wheel having fluid-discharge stemswhich are automatically advanced toward and retracted 3 from the bottleunder the control of relative movement of the part which carries saidstems and the part from which fluid is an pliedto the same or under thecontrol of t e pressure of the rinsing fluid, which pressure is or maybe itself controlled by said relative movement of said parts. Thismeans, broadly,

is more particularly claimed in the earliest filed of my said coperiding'cases, (Serial No. 149,197, filed March 23, 1903,) which shows,describes, and claims a rinsing-wheel having many features in commonwith that of the present case. ing cases (Serial No. 151,457, filedApril 7, 1903) thereis also shown and described a rinsing-wheel similarin many respects to that of the present application The articulardifference between the structure 0 the present case and the detailsshown in my said earlier cases is in the means for retracting therinsing or fluid-discharge stems, this in the present invention beingaccomplished by the pressure of the rinsing fluid; In still another ofmy copending applications (Serial No. 153,058, filed April 17, 1903) Ihave illustrated and described a rinsing-wheel like that of the presentapplication other than in details of the hub and except-for theretraction of the stems by water-pressure and also showing, describing,and claiming a relation of rinsing means and conveyer similar to thatshown in the present case. I do not claim in this application, broadly,any feature or In another of my said copend-I binations are embraced inthe earliest of .my said cases upon which they can be read.

A leading object, therefore, ofthe present invention is to provide abottle-rinser which is adapted to utilize the pressure of the rinsingfluid as the means for advancing and retracting the discharge-stem,thereby making the apparatus most efficient and reliable in operationand giving it maximum durability.

To this-and other ends the invention consists'in certain peculiaritiesin the construction and'arrangement of parts and in certain novelcombinations of. elements substantially as hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment ofthepresent invention,Figur-e 1 is a side elevation of a bottle rinsingand soaking mechanism embodying the present improvements with a part ofthe rinsing-tank broken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is.adetailsectionalview, with partsbroken ofi, of a portion of the rinsing mechanism, showing abottle-pocket of the conveyer and a bottle in place therein; and Fig. 4is a section onthe line 4 4' of Fig. 3.

The same reference characters designate the same parts in the severalviews.

The detail construction of rinsing mechanism hereinafter described,lends itself very readily for use as a part of; a bottle-cleansingmechanism having a soaking-tank and means for carrying the bottles firstthrough said tank and thence automatically to the rinsing means, wherebythe several steps of soaking and rinsing (and preferably also brushing)the bottles are successively carried on without intermediate handling ofthe bottles. For this reason the device of the present in vention isshown as a. portion of an apparatus which also soaks the bottles but itwill be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to usesaid rinsingme'chanism as a concrete device separate from asoakingtankand to feed the bottles to it in any suit-' able way.

A designates a bottle-soaking tank fany suitable construction. The oneshownis livided into a plurality of compartnients a'c for differentalkaline or other cleansing solu- -tions or mediums, ancLB designates asuitable endless conveyer having bottlepockets b of sultableconstruction and passing over the claims for such commonfeatures andcom-' suitably-arranged wheels b, by which it is driven and guided andcaused to travel first through 1l1e several compartments of thesoaking-tank and be turned over each of the same to permit the solutionwhich has filled the bottles to drain back into the tank.

.The pockets b are preferably of the wellknown construction which areopen to permit the bottles to be most readily inserted thereinto at thesupply-station and to drop therefrom by gravity at the place ofdischarge, and therefore'guards b" are placed wherever necessary toprevent premature discharge of the bottles from said pockets.

: These parts of the apparatus are well known ,fluid at predeterminedplaces in the travel of the wheel. In the construction selected toexemplify'the present invention and which is preferred, although theinvention is not re- .stricted thereto, the endless carrier B, in commonwith the construction and arrangementshown, described, and claimed in mycopending application, Serial No. 153,058, hereinbefore mentioned, holdsthe bottles not only while the same are being soaked, but also whilethey are being rinsed, and in said construction the rinsing-wheel needonly be constructed toreceive a part of the necks of the bottles. Insaid construction also the rinsing-wheel is provided with asprocket-wheel D, the teeth of which are engaged by links of theconveyor-chain of the endless carrier B, whereby said rinsing-wheel isrotated. Said rinsing-wheel is mounted on a pipe 1, which is connectedwith a suitable source of supply of water under pressure and'is providedwith a discharge-aperture 2, preferably in the form of a slot extendinglongitudinally thereof. This pipe is preferably encircled by a secondpipe 3, arranged therewith to provide a chamber 4 and having in itsupper segment suitable provision for the exit of the fluid from saidchambersuch, for example, as the series of discharge-apertures 5, whichare p eferably in the form of slots extending longitudinally thereof.The outer pipe 3 is further provided with peripheral grooves 5, whichextend longitudinallythereof and alternate with said discharge-apertures5. I do not in thisapplicationbroadly claim the hub with ,a series ofdischarge-apertures leading from its chamber 4, as the same constitutesone of the claimed features in my copending application, Serial 215,421,filed July'5, 1904. The rinsing-wheel D is mounted to rotate on saidouter pipe 3 and preferably comprises a hub 6, provided with a series ofapertures 7, from each of which extends a tube 8, and with a secondseries of apertures 9, which alternate with said apertures 7 and openinto a second series of tubes 10, each of which communicates with a tube8 through an aperture 11,

which is located in .the side of said tube 8 at a place suitably abovethe bottom of the same. At the top of each tube 8 there is provided acup 12 to receive a bottleneck. The upperportion of each tube ispreferably formed separately from the body portion ofthe tube andtelescopically engaged there- With,'whereby the tubes may be extended orcontracted to suit different lengths of bottles,

and said upper section of each tube is preferably held in adjustedposition by a bolt 13, which extends through an elongated slot 14 in"said upper section and is provided with a holding-nut 15. It ispreferred to attach the tube 10 to said upper. (adjustable) section, andsaid tube is therefore preferably made of flexiits length in ordernot tointerfere with the adjustment of said upper section. Within each tube 8thereis mounted a longitudinallymovable hollow fluid-discharge stem 16,having an open end 17 for the-admission of the rinsing fluid thereto andprovidedwith a head or piston 18, which reciprocates between the inlets-7 and 11, through Which the rinsing fluid has access to said tube 8.

- The operation of the device. thus far described will readily beunderstood to be as follows: The attendant stationed at the supply-.

place (which may be at either end of'the apparatus) fills with bottles Xto be cleansed the pockets bas they are successively presented to him,and said bottles are, as above ble material throughout a suitableportion of stated, slowly carried through the soakingtank, from whencethey are conducted to the rinsing-Wheel and caused to engage therespective cups 12. In the rotation of the rinsing-wheel each tube 8thereof is successively presented to the discharge-apertures '5 andgrooves 5 of the outer pipe 3, which is similarly true of each tube 10,and said parts are so related'that when a tube 8 is in communicationwith said aperture 5 the tube 10, connected with said tube 8, will be incommunication with a groove 5*, and vice versa. It will thus be seenthat in the rotation of the rinsing-wheel the water will first enter thebottom of said tube 8 and=a portion thereof will act upon the piston orhead 18 of thefluidback into the tank B or other suitable placetherefor. The continued rotation of the rinsing-wheel next carries eachtube 8 out of com munication with a discharge-aperture 5 and intocommunication with the next groove 5 and also carries each tube 10 intocommunication with the next discharge-aperture 5, whereby the fluid isdischarged through the latter tube under pressure against the piston orhead 18, thus forcing the latter rearward and retracting said stem fromthe bottle. During this movement the water drains back into the tank Bthrough the grooves 5 from the lower end of each tube 8. After beingthus rinsed the bottles are conveyed to the place of discharge 19, atwhich place they automatically drop from the conveyer-pockets b and areconducted by means of a table 20 to a place provided therefor.

The fluid-discharge stems are preferably moved axially during theirlongitudinal movements This is preferably accomplished by a means whichcomprises a ring 2 1, (which is preferably in the form of a skeleton orspider in order to not bar access of water to the upper face of thepiston or head 18,) having a flange 22, which engages a spiral groove 23in the stem. It is also preferable to provide the stems with means forbrushing the bottles during the advance and retrograde movements of thestems. To this end the tips of the stems are preferably provided with aplurality of flexible brushes 24, preferably made of rubber, which arereadily moved toward each other in their insertion into and removal fromthe bottles and open out to brush the interiors of the bottles duringtheir rotative. movement with the stems. Eachbrushpreferably comprises abody having a hollowed or concave surface 25 presented to the dis'charge-opening 26 at the tip of the stem 16 and provided on its frontface with ribs or projections 27, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. I do notherein claim, broadly, a reciprocatory fluid-discharge stem having suchbrush, as the same forms a claimed portion of the structure embraced inmy before-mentioned oopending application, Serial No. 153,058.

Having thus described the invention, what I believe to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. .A- bottle-rinsing mechanism comprisin a ,reciprocatory fluiddischarge stem, an means whereby said stem is advanced and retracted bythe pressure-of the rinsing fluid.

2. A bottle-cleaning apparatus comprising fluid-supply means and abottle-holder, one of which is rotatable relatively to the other, atube, a fluid-discharge stem mounted in said tube and having means bywhich it is reciprocated by the pressure of the fluid and means by whichthe supply of said fluid to said tube is controlled by the rotation ofthe rotatable part.

3. A bottle-cleaning apparatus comprising fluid-supply means and abottle-holder one of which is movable relatively to the other, a

dischar e-stem having'a head and means by i rocates and means forestablishing communication of the portion of the tube at one side of thepiston with said supply means and of the portion thereof at the otherside of said piston with the drainage means, to thereby force the pistonand stem in one direction, and for reversing said communication, tocause the rinsing fluid to reverse the direction of movement of saidpiston and stem.

5. A bottle-rinsing mechanism comprising a fluid-supply pipe having adischarge-aperture, bottle carrying means movable rela tively to saidaperture, a tube movable with said carrying means, a fluid-dischargestem reciprocatorily mounted in said tube and provided with a head orpiston, and means through which said tube has communication with saidaperture alternately above and be-.

-movable with said carrying means and provided with a reciprocatorypiston and means through which the portions of said tube,

above and below said piston, each alternately communicates with saiddischarge-aperture and drainage-groove. 1

7. A bottle-rinsing mechanismcomprising a fluid-supply pipe having adischarge-aperture and a drainage-groove and a rinsingwheel mounted torotate aroundsaid pipe with the bottles being rinsed, and comprising afluid-discharge stem provided with a head or piston, a tube inwhich saidstem and head or piston reciprocate, and means through which theportions of said tube above and below saidpiston each alternatelycommunicate with said discharge-aperture and drainage-groove.

8. A bottle-rinsing mechanism comprising a fluid-supply pipe having adischarge-aperture and a drainage-groove, and a rinsingwheel mounted torotate around said pipe with the bottles being rinsed, and comprising afluid-discharge stem. provided with a head or piston, a tube in whichsaid stem and head ICC or piston reciprocate, said tube having an openlower end alternately communicating with said discharge-aperture anddrainage- .groove and a separate tube entering the first- Inentione'dtube above said piston or head and having an open lower end alternatelycommunicating with said discharge-aperture and drainage-groove.

9. A bottle-rinsing mechanism, comprising a fluid-supply pipe having adischarge-aperture and a drainage-groove and a rinsingwheel mounted torotate around said pipe and comprising a hub having a series of pairs ofapertures, each of which apertures alternately registers with saiddischarge-aperture and drainage-groove, a plurality of tubes radiatingfrom said hub and provided with open lower ends communicating with oneof said apertures of the respective pairs and having at the outer endcups to engage the bottlenecks, 'afiuid-diseharge stem mounted toreciprocate in each'of said tubes and provided with a head or piston,and 'a plurality of tubes carried by said hub and extending from theother apertures of the respective pairs and each opening into one ofsaid first: mentioned tubes above said piston.

10. r A bottle-cleaning means, comprisin a reciprocatory fluid-dischargestem, means or causin said stem to be advanced and retracte by thepressure of the rinsing fluid,

and means for causing said stem to rotate.

during its reciprocation.

11. A bottle-cleansing means comprisinga fluid-discharge stem having aheader piston,

means in which the same is reciprocatorily mounted, a brushcarried bysaid stem, means of said piston, to thereby reciprocate said hollowfiuid-dischargestem having a piston or head, a tube in which the same ismounted,

said tube having a cup to engage the bottleneck, means for admittingfluid under pressure to said tube alternately at opposite sides of saidpiston to thereby reciprocate SEL'lCl' stem and means for causing saidstem to rotate during its reciprocations.

14. .A bottle-cleansing means comprisingva hollow fluid-discharge stemhaving a piston or head, a tube in which the same is mounted, said tubehaving a cup to engage the bottleneck,'means for admitting fluid underpressure to said tube alternately at opposite sides of said piston tothereby reciprocate said stem, and brushing means carried by said stem.

15. A bottle-cleansing means comprising a hollow fluid-discharge stemhaving a piston or head, a tube in which the same is mounted, said tubehaving a cup to engage the bottleneck, means for admittin fluid underpressure to said tube alternate y at opposite sides stem, brushing meanscarried by said stem,

and means for causing said stem to rotate during its reeiprocations.

1,6. A bottle-rinsing mechanism, comprising a fluid-supply pipe having adischargeaperture, and means revolubly mounted on Saidpipe, saidrevOlhbly-inounted means being provided with a fiuid-dischargestemhaving a head or piston, a tube in which said stem works, means throughwhich communi cation of the said aperture with the interior of said tubeand below said piston or head is alternately established, and means forturn- I ing said stem in said tube during its reciproca'tions. 7

Witness my hand this 29th day of February, 1904, at the city ofCleveland, in the county, of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio.

CHARLES H. LOEW. Witnesses:

GRISWOLD, HENRI MiLLER.

